Hummel

Why isn't this excellent composer better known? A friend of mine (who posts here sometimes I believe) hooked me up with some mp3's of his first two piano concertos. Excellent music. Why isn't he more well known? Just goes to show you, how good a composer is has very little to do with how renowned or famous he becomes.

"Just goes to show you, how good a composer is has very little to do with how renowned or famous he becomes."

That's rubbish. Almost all of the well known composers are good, so what then???

There are a few good composers that aren't well known, who are good, and there are reasons for that.

And besides, Hummel is well known - to musicians anyway.

Your standard non musician isn't going to know about people like Scarlatti, or Boccherini, or Gluck, or Meyerbeer etc. and Hummel is about as well known as they are anyway.

The reason that Hummel isn't more well known, is because he isn't as good as those who were at the same approximate time as him.

He was maybe as good as, or better than Clementi, who taught him, but he was nothing to Mozart(who also taught him), Schubert, Beethoven, Chopin, Mendelssohn, etc.

That's probably why he's not so well known, although alot of that is just my opinion - I find his music rather bland.

Boy, I have a hard time swallowing that. I think some composers, great though they are, just aren't fortunate enough to emerge from the shadows of other composers whose greatness becomes legendary.

There is hope for Hummel (and Spohr, and Cherubini, and Rheinberger, etc, etc). Vivaldi was almost completely unknown until about 60 years ago, when he was re-introduced and suddenly struck a chord with listeners. Hummel, and the other composers I named, are a good deal more worthy of such fortune.

I guess it's a matter of taste, but I'd rather listen to a piano trio by Hummel than just about any by Beethoven, great as they may be.

"Boy, I have a hard time swallowing that. I think some composers, great though they are, just aren't fortunate enough to emerge from the shadows of other composers whose greatness becomes legendary.

i know. -->

There are a few good composers that aren't well known, who are good, and there are reasons for that.

And Spohr and Cherubini are known to people with a serious interest in classical, although they're not going to be played on radio v much.

I'd have to hear a piano trio by Hummel then - maybe I've judged him too early. I've only heard his trumpet concerto, a few piano sonatas and some of a piano concerto. Oh, and his arrangements of Mozart concerti.

The trumpet concerto at least, I find boring. They're all good, but imo, not in the same league as his contemporaries.

Maybe i need to listen to some more stuff.

Definitely. I recommend starting with the chamber music with piano. His Piano Trio in E-flat completely blew me away. It was one of those times where I was glued to the car radio, and during the finale I pulled off the road. When it ended, I burst out laughing with sheer joy...what a wonderful surprise it was.

You know, I'm wierd in that I really listen for greatness among underdog composers. Most people don't give a damn, as you say, if they haven't heard the name before.